Tuesday, April 15, 2008

I probably covered it best in Purple Curve Effect, but as R.W. Schambach loves to say, "it bears repeating!"

This year I had this feeling, so I started on my tax return early... I started yesterday. Sure enough, it took me until 2pm today to finish. I did very little else. Well, I did sleep last night. But I applied the focus necessary to complete the task, given printer problems — from two different printers!

So what. It got done.

Now back to making money.

What obstacles are you letting get in your way? Consider turning off the cell phone for 24 hours. What is the worst that could happen? Better yet, what is the best that could happen? It has nothing to do with "will power" or even determination.

Successful people do what the masses will not do: put themselves in a position to win. It is that simple. Oh sure, you can make it more complicated... explain it away, tell yourself all sorts of great excuses. Let me pick on the sales people listening in: not closing enough sales?

Look around: who should we blame?

The economy? Your spouse? Your employer?

Zig Ziglar tells a great story that years ago, in his pots & pans days (yes, before he sold million dollar consulting gigs, he sold pots and pans door to door — and we think we have it tuff! But I digress...), Zig tells of his company holding week long sale contests. And the sales team was alerted weeks ahead. Long story short, they wanted the salesmen to "get ready" to focus. By giving the staff notice, they could start to practice. They could get all the cares of life out of the way. Tell the significant other, "honey, its gonna be a long week." Don't hold supper.

But the shear volume of product moved was amazing.

And the rewards!

Why? Focus. Plain and simple. They expected to move a lot of product. They posted goals on the walls at the office (and I would suspect that the better salesman had similar posters at home!). Every distraction was put off for one whole week.

May I suggest that there is no recession. Regardless the stupid remarks made by otherwise intelligent folk. Like the analyst that claimed that the definition of recession (requiring six months of down indicators) was no longer valid in light of GE's poor performance.

How asinine!

I would have fired him and NBC's nightly news anchor for retelling it (although I do not recall him giving proper credit).

Because GE's commercial real estate arm got hammered (by what? a few points!), that does not give anyone the right to shout "fire" in a crowded room. And that is EXACTLY the effect.

There is no recession. Regardless what the mainstream media tell you.

Today's economy "is not your father's Oldsmobile" to quote a great line. Oil price alone cannot cause a recession. The weak dollar should be having huge positive ramifications on the balance of trade? Why are very few pundits shouting about this fact? But again, I digress...

Balance is what you make of it. So we all need to get off our backsides, and rejoin the fight. Not just the folks in sales. What can you do Mr. Warehouse Manager to help sales make more sales? What can you do, Ms. CPA, to help sales make more sales?

I probably covered it best in Purple Curve Effect, but as R.W. Schambach loves to say, "it bears repeating!"

This year I had this feeling, so I started on my tax return early... I started yesterday. Sure enough, it took me until 2pm today to finish. I did very little else. Well, I did sleep last night. But I applied the focus necessary to complete the task, given printer problems — from two different printers!

So what. It got done.

Now back to making money.

What obstacles are you letting get in your way? Consider turning off the cell phone for 24 hours. What is the worst that could happen? Better yet, what is the best that could happen? It has nothing to do with "will power" or even determination.

Successful people do what the masses will not do: put themselves in a position to win. It is that simple. Oh sure, you can make it more complicated... explain it away, tell yourself all sorts of great excuses. Let me pick on the sales people listening in: not closing enough sales?

Look around: who should we blame?

The economy? Your spouse? Your employer?

Zig Ziglar tells a great story that years ago, in his pots & pans days (yes, before he sold million dollar consulting gigs, he sold pots and pans door to door — and we think we have it tuff! But I digress...), Zig tells of his company holding week long sale contests. And the sales team was alerted weeks ahead. Long story short, they wanted the salesmen to "get ready" to focus. By giving the staff notice, they could start to practice. They could get all the cares of life out of the way. Tell the significant other, "honey, its gonna be a long week." Don't hold supper.

But the shear volume of product moved was amazing.

And the rewards!

Why? Focus. Plain and simple. They expected to move a lot of product. They posted goals on the walls at the office (and I would suspect that the better salesman had similar posters at home!). Every distraction was put off for one whole week.

May I suggest that there is no recession. Regardless the stupid remarks made by otherwise intelligent folk. Like the analyst that claimed that the definition of recession (requiring six months of down indicators) was no longer valid in light of GE's poor performance.

How asinine!

I would have fired him and NBC's nightly news anchor for retelling it (although I do not recall him giving proper credit).

Because GE's commercial real estate arm got hammered (by what? a few points!), that does not give anyone the right to shout "fire" in a crowded room. And that is EXACTLY the effect.

There is no recession. Regardless what the mainstream media tell you.

Today's economy "is not your father's Oldsmobile" to quote a great line. Oil price alone cannot cause a recession. The weak dollar should be having huge positive ramifications on the balance of trade? Why are very few pundits shouting about this fact? But again, I digress...

Balance is what you make of it. So we all need to get off our backsides, and rejoin the fight. Not just the folks in sales. What can you do Mr. Warehouse Manager to help sales make more sales? What can you do, Ms. CPA, to help sales make more sales?